I Wonder What The World Would be Like if Efren Was 30---

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GaryB

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I wonder what the world would be like if Efren were 30 and his opponents were 60+

He flies 16-18 hours half way around the world and within 8 hours he s in action. Looks tired and somewhat off of his game.

The next day he looks stronger and seems to never stop playing. He is a machine, Does this for 3 days--my normal period to get over jet lag--- and then flies again through a couple of time zones to face up with the strongest 1 Hole players in the world.

He doesn't win this time but comes in a strong 3rd.

I wonder what if the roles were reversed but I especially wonder if he were 30 and they were 60+
 
K

kkdanamatt

AzB Gold Member
Gold Member
Silver Member
What a scenario you've painted!
Watching the Efren of today is like watching Willie Mays play during the latter years of his career.
Now, you're only seeing flashes of brilliance that were his norm years ago.
I first saw Efren play in 1986 at the Last Call for 9-Ball in Atlantic City.
Everyone gathered around during his matches because they never before witnessed such creativity and kicking ability. Miz, Sigel, Varner, Buddy, Hopkins, etc.; they were all there observing Efren.
I mentioned this to Efren recently and he nodded and said that his best years were when he was between 16 and 25 years of age..
So, almost no one in the USA has ever seen Efren when he was at his very best.
 
S

smashmouth

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
maybe the best ever but there's no shortage of fairy tales around these parts especially as he gets older

in his prime in the USA Earl and Buddy may have been better, and when Efren took down the world with backer money Buddy took him down with his own
 
Lesh

Lesh

One Hole Thinkifier
Silver Member
If only Mr. Peabody would let me borrow that time machine of his....

First stop would be to the Philippines some time around 1980 to watch "bata" play.
Second, same year, but in Texas to watch little Earl, Buddy, Cap'n Hook, and Nicky Varner sprinting around the table for the cash.

Regards,

lesh
 
pt109

pt109

WO double hemlock
Silver Member
kkdanamatt said:
What a scenario you've painted!
Watching the Efren of today is like watching Willie Mays play during the latter years of his career.
Now, you're only seeing flashes of brilliance that were his norm years ago.
I first saw Efren play in 1986 at the Last Call for 9-Ball in Atlantic City.
Everyone gathered around during his matches because they never before witnessed such creativity and kicking ability. Miz, Sigel, Varner, Buddy, Hopkins, etc.; they were all there observing Efren.
I mentioned this to Efren recently and he nodded and said that his best years were when he was between 16 and 25 years of age..
So, almost no one in the USA has ever seen Efren when he was at his very best.
Click to expand...

I'm going to disagree with Efren about playing better when he was younger...
....he was a better ball STRIKER then......he became a better PLAYER later...
....hell,, most good players struck the ball better when they were young.

Jose Parica was THE player of the Pinoys when Efren was young....
...when Jose won all those Japan Opens back then (8 or 9 in a row) Efren was with him often.

pt....gets a little nervous when he disagrees with Efren....:eek:
 
B

BasementDweller

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I agree pt.

I think it's often overlooked how much Efren has improved over the years. Sure he doesn't fire in some long range shots like he may have in his youth but he also never played one pocket back then. So his game hasn't been on a gradual decline, but instead some skills deminished while others inproved.

Not to mention, or I guess that's what I'm doing -- players today are much better ball strikers than were 20 or 30 years ago and he still managed and manages to compete with them just fine. That tells me his game wasn't declining as much as is often suggested.
 
G

GaryB

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Any of the players last week if they were 60+ playing a young Efren.??

3rd place takes on a greater significance in that light.

Maybe he sneaks in next year.

Buddy Hall was one of the greatest of all time and I have a training tape where he describes what he is going to do and then says"and this is the way we do it! But he has not carried over near so many skills into his 60's.

Just saying.
 
androd

androd

androd
Silver Member
smashmouth said:
maybe the best ever but there's no shortage of fairy tales around these parts especially as he gets older

in his prime in the USA Earl and Buddy may have been better, and when Efren took down the world with backer money Buddy took him down with his own
Click to expand...

Not correct ,Red staked him and they didn't play the next day because Buddy wouldn't put up his end from the day before.

P.S. I can't remember either one betting their own unless purely stealing.
 
Last edited:
androd

androd

androd
Silver Member
GaryB said:
Any of the players last week if they were 60+ playing a young Efren.??

3rd place takes on a greater significance in that light.

Maybe he sneaks in next year.

Buddy Hall was one of the greatest of all time and I have a training tape where he describes what he is going to do and then says"and this is the way we do it! But he has not carried over near so many skills into his 60's.

Just saying.
Click to expand...

Buddy is in his 70's
 
asiasdad

asiasdad

Banned
pt109 said:
I'm going to disagree with Efren about playing better when he was younger...
....he was a better ball STRIKER then......he became a better PLAYER later...
....hell,, most good players struck the ball better when they were young.

Jose Parica was THE player of the Pinoys when Efren was young....
...when Jose won all those Japan Opens back then (8 or 9 in a row) Efren was with him often.

pt....gets a little nervous when he disagrees with Efren....:eek:
Click to expand...

A physical 30 year old Efren with a 62 year old Efren brain/experience could
just breathe on a pool table and win.
 
pwd72s

pwd72s

recreational banger
Silver Member
asiasdad said:
A physical 30 year old Efren with a 62 year old Efren brain/experience could
just breathe on a pool table and win.
Click to expand...

Ain't that the truth! I'd love to be 30 again, but wouldn't want to lose the knowledge I've gained since then...
 
K

King T

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Well think of it..,

GaryB said:
I wonder what the world would be like if Efren were 30 and his opponents were 60+

He flies 16-18 hours half way around the world and within 8 hours he s in action. Looks tired and somewhat off of his game.


I wonder what if the roles were reversed but I especially wonder if he were 30 and they were 60+
Click to expand...

Lots of people like to talk about how good others played compared to Efren, Buddy, Segal, Rempy, Nick and Earl, but truth be told he played better than all of them in every game.

9 Ball and 10 Ball it was close, any of them might win on a given day, but if they all played round-robin for a week every day it wouldn't be close in the end, Efren.

If they would have went to his country to live and played all the best there would they have had the record he did when he came here, no.

He's the best all around player there ever was, still going strong at 60!! its not close!
 
Get_A_Grip

Get_A_Grip

Truth Will Set You Free
Silver Member
I think that the Efren of today moves every bit as good in 1-pocket as he ever has. The problem in this last tournament appeared to be his shot making. Especially the couple straight in shots. He missed two shots that he should have made against Danny, that if he would have made, I think he wins the match.
 
greyghost

greyghost

Coast to Coast
Silver Member
GaryB said:
Any of the players last week if they were 60+ playing a young Efren.??

3rd place takes on a greater significance in that light.

Maybe he sneaks in next year.

Buddy Hall was one of the greatest of all time and I have a training tape where he describes what he is going to do and then says"and this is the way we do it! But he has not carried over near so many skills into his 60's.

Just saying.
Click to expand...

buddy hall is about as big as a house.....your gain that much weight at any age i'm gonna say its going to chop your game up pretty bad.
 
PhilosopherKing

PhilosopherKing

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
greyghost said:
buddy hall is about as big as a house.....your gain that much weight at any age i'm gonna say its going to chop your game up pretty bad.
Click to expand...

How good would Mizerak have been if he had taken care of himself?

A stroke that will never see it's equal.
 
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